Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems set to go go go in F1 But how do you know how much energy it really saves?

By David Sheath PDS Instruments Ltd Formula One, the ultimate glamour sport, is not an industry traditionally associated with being all that green. However, in 2009 a rule change in F1 will mean that every car that rolls out on to the starting grid will have to feature a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Basic information on what will be required to match up to these new KERS regulations is already publicly available through the FIA. There still seems to be much debate in and around the industry as to exactly how this will be implemented. Some discussion suggests that a flywheel system would allow for the storage of energy in a mechanical fashion. However, there are wide reaching safety implications with such a system that make this seem like an outside chance in the safety conscious world that is modern F1. The more likely scheme to be adopted is something based on that found in existing hybrid road cars i.e. The kinetic energy recovered and converted during braking will be stored in a reservoir (battery or capacitor) and then used to power some kind of electric motor that will work in conjunction with the engine during subsequent acceleration. The idea being that a similar performance level could be achieved in terms of acceleration but at the same time reducing the amount of fuel burnt to achieve that performance. One feature of the 2009 F1 KERS regulation is that, regardless of the potential energy that can be generated from braking, only a limited amount of energy can be stored and fed back into the system to aid acceleration. This is presumably for safety reasons and to encourage the energy saving that this regulation is aimed at, rather than having KERS become another area of F1 upon which the teams spend millions in order to gain that extra 1% over the competition. This does raise the question of how a KERS system is tested for energy recovery. In terms of measuring the electrical power saved and reused, the easiest way to measure this is with a power analyser such as the Voltech PM6000. Some teams in F1 are already using or looking at this route to investigate fledgling KERS systems and as this year develops, and work on 2009 cars begins in earnest, it is only a matter of time before more F1 engineers look at the implications of KERS and the testing and development that is associated with it. Using a power analyser, such as the Voltech PM6000, it is possible to perform a complete electro-mechanical analysis of the energy generated, stored and
PDS Instruments Ltd 2008 This article may not be published or re-printed in part or in whole without the written permission of PDS Instruments Ltd. You can contact us by phone or email as shown at the end of this document or by writing to:- KERS Information, PDS Instruments Ltd, Unit 7 Broadmarsh Business Centre, Harts Farm Way, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1HS.

used. This kind of detailed analysis will allow the KERS units to be checked for efficiency and regulatory compliance which are both critical factors in F1.

PM6000 used to check power efficiency in single or three phase arrangement.

Generator to capture energy during braking.

Energy reservoir.

Motor to feed stored energy back in to car.

The system drawn above shows a simplified block overview of a typical test rig for a KERS. By using the capabilities of a system like the PM6000 it is possible to produce efficiency measurements onboard the analyser by using the in built math features to calculate efficiency (energy in/energy out). With the addition of external data capture for torque and speed, it is also possible to analyse the relationship between axle speeds and energy generated to look more closely at mechanical, as well as electrical losses, within the system. As development of such systems progress in F1 it is likely that this technology will permeate to other forms of motor sport, GT racing and Le Mans spring to mind as obvious candidates, and then go full circle back in to the wider automotive industry. F1 has long been a trend setter in automotive technological advances, and it looks likely that it will spark a whole new interest in developing KERS for mass consumption. So one day, in the not too distant future, we are all likely to be driving more efficient cars inspired by their thoroughbred cousins in the F1 paddock. For further information or to discuss KERS testing and development please contact PDS Instrument Ltd on 0800 043 0831 or email info@pdsinstruments.co.uk

PDS Instruments Ltd 2008 This article may not be published or re-printed in part or in whole without the written permission of PDS Instruments Ltd. You can contact us by phone or email as shown at the end of this document or by writing to:- KERS Information, PDS Instruments Ltd, Unit 7 Broadmarsh Business Centre, Harts Farm Way, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1HS.